This invention is directed to a method and system for providing content in an organized and categorized manner. In particular, this invention is directed to a method and system for delivering television programming which is categorized in domains and for delivering navigational tools which provide information about and access to multiple channels or programs. Users can navigate through the domains, tools, and channels with a feeling of three dimensional movement.
In the early days of television, viewers were offered few channels and a limited number of programs. Indeed, over-the-air television broadcasting in any given region was, and still is, limited to only about half of the thirteen VHF channels and several UHF channels. With limited channels and programming, viewers had little difficulty choosing what to watch at a given time by simply switching from one channel to the next until a desired program was presented.
The advent of cable and satellite television broadcast systems increased the number of channels being delivered. Presently, many programming providers, whether using cable, microwave, satellite, or the like, provide upwards of 60 to 100 channels of programming at any time. As with over-the-air broadcasting, the channels are arranged linearly in numeric order, e.g., from channel 1 through channel 99. Viewers change channels or xe2x80x9cchannel surfxe2x80x9d by either moving from channel to channel in linear fashion or by selecting a specific channel by number and jumping directly from another channel to that channel.
The increased channel capacity of newer systems has provided the opportunity and need to offer a greater number and variety of programming of different types. For example, not only are there an increased number of conventional television programs such as situation comedies, dramas, game shows, and the like, but television now provides a proliferation of talk shows, cooking shows, music videos, shopping programs, movies, and more. Furthermore, entire channels are devoted to showing only programming of a specific category or group, such as movie channels, comedy channels, cooking channels, sports channels, shopping channels, etc. Cable and satellite system operators offer some of these channels as part of a xe2x80x9cbasexe2x80x9d subscription package, and offer other channels, such as Home Box Office or Showtime, only for a premium. Additional channels offer programs on a pay-per-view basis.
With the increased number of channels and programs offered by cable and satellite systems, it becomes more difficult for viewers to identify the programming choices at any time by channel surfing. The time taken to move from channel to channel, wait at each channel to determine what program is on, and decide whether to watch the program seriously cuts down viewing time once a program is selected. In addition, the viewer must remember what program is playing on each channel in order to decide what to watch and return to a prior channel if desired. Finally, this type of channel surfing makes viewing by other viewers a jumpy, disconcerting, and generally unpleasant experience.
New technological developments such as digital video and high definition television promise to dramatically increase the number of channels available. Television broadcasting systems of the near future will likely have 500 or even 1000 channels available for viewing at any given time. Interactive services, including video on demand and Internet or on-line services provide even more potentially available content for distribution over television broadcast systems. The problems described above associated with channel surfing through a more limited number of channels will clearly become exponentially more serious, to the point where conventional channel surfing techniques become entirely unusable.
Thus, there is a need for a new system for organizing and navigating through television channels and programs. The present invention provides such a system. Furthermore, with such a large quantity of programming content available to viewers, it is desirable to organize the content in a manner that is intuitive and provides for highly efficient viewing by the viewing audience. The present invention provides a viewing audience with content organized and presented to facilitate navigation through the content in an efficient and intuitive manner.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the deficiencies noted above in current television programming delivery and selection.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an interface for television program selection that makes the process of selecting and viewing programs non-intimidating, pleasant, and entertaining.
It is another object of the invention to provide a navigation system advantageous for use with various types of data including on-line services over the Internet, kiosks or information booths, Internet browsers, as well as conventional television programming or movies. Such a navigation system provides an easy transition from today""s limited viewing choices to the unlimited pallet of digital television, to encourage access to a maximum number of relevant program offerings, and to remove the fear, uncertainty and intimidation factors from digital television.
It is another object of the invention to provide viewers with new options for obtaining information and navigating through the many channels provided for viewing.
It is another object of the invention to provide viewers with more options for navigating through the information provided.
These and other objects are provided by a system and method for delivering content that is organized to allow a viewer to access desired programming in an orderly fashion and which provides viewers with a feeling of three dimensional movement while navigating through content choices. The method involves categorizing the content into a plurality of domains according to related subject matter. Example domains include television, movies, shopping, cooking, sports, local, kids and the like. A plurality of navigational tools are provided which each offer information about a variety of content choices in a given domain. Some tools also provide access to the content choices; that is, allow users to move from the tool to the display of the content choice. The tools are, for example, a host tool, where a xe2x80x9chostxe2x80x9d gives a tour of the content available in a given domain, a multiscreen browser which displays audiovisual representations of the content choices, and an intelligent program gide which scrolls the content choices for a given time period. The tools are generally ordered to correspond to the cognitive abilities of viewers, with tools ranging from the simple host tool which presents preselected choices to a custom tool which allows viewers to program viewing selections and parameters.
When the system is applied to a television environment, the television programming originates at a head end, is organized and categorized into domains, tools and channels, and is processed for distribution through cable or another type of wired or wireless broadcast distribution. At the user locations, a set top box and remote control are provided. The set top box includes appropriate demultiplexing and decoding circuitry in order to develop signals playable by a television receiver. The playable signals are then output to the television set for display. The remote control contains special buttons for navigating between domains and tools, and for performing other advantageous functions such as tagging programs for later viewing.